Cushion positive clutch.



M. BR ETH. I CUSHION POSITIVE CLUTCH. v APPLICATION IYIALEVDVAPR.24,1914;

Patented Jan. 26; 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES M/VE/VTUR M J M Jyaxz'rnzlzan Bra-Z] By W M ATTORNEYS PatentedJan. 26, 1915.

2 SHE TkSHEET 2.

//V VE/V TOR Jifaxlirzz'lz'an ,Breih' A TTOR/VEYS vention willhereinafter ED mi es. BAJIENI OF nmximnmiw 31mm, or ew fonx, N. Y.

cushion rcisrrrifri. cnur'cn.

Application filed April 24, 1914. Serial No. 834,129.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN BRETH, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New purpose of startinga stationary machine,

mcans being provided to cushion the impact whereby the driving shaft,even though operated at a high speed, will not cause an undesirableshock to the driven element.

The foregoing and other objects of the inbe more fully described andclaimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the views, and in whic Figure l is a vertical sectional view of abench or table along which a large number of individual machines arearranged and adapted to be driven from a single power shaft; Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a. plan view corresponding to Fig. 2; F igs, 4 and 5 are verticaltransverse sections on the lines H and 55 respectively of Fig. 2; andFig. 6 is a detail View of one of the clutch elements described below.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials,and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design ofthe mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without departingfrom the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth'andspecifi= cally claimed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. I show at 10 a main linepower shaft extending along a work table or bench .11 whereupon Iarrange any suitable number of individual machines 12 adapted foroperation independently of one another from said power shaft. Betweenthe power shaft and each machine 12 is arranged transmissionSpecification of Letters ratnt.

. for and the machine is to be operated.

Patented Jan. 26,

mechanism including any suitable number or arrangement of belts 13 and apulley 14- or their equivalent. The usual machine shop or factorypractice is such .that the intermediate transmission devices 13 and 14are operated constantly from the power shaft 10, though the machine maybe idle a large portion of the time. This fact causes an enormousexpenditure of power for the reason that in factories where the machinesare in actual use, say of but ten per cent. of the time, the powerrequired to operate the idle transmission devices of the other ninetyper cent. approximates very nearly the ower required to operate ten percent. 0 the machines. By this invention, therefore, I am enabled to stopnot only each machine, but

the intermediate transmission devices thereprovide means for star'tin'the same again without shock or without d elay when Each ma chineoperator is provided with a clutch mechanism includin a shifting yoke 15cooperating with a chitch sleeve 16 slidable within certain limits alongtheshaft 10 but having constant interlocking connection at 17 with acollar 18 locked to the shaft by any suitable means such as set screws19. At 20 I provide a transmission wheel having its hollow hub 21journaled loosely upon the shaft 10 and held from longitudinal movementthereupon by any suitable means such, for instance, as collars 22 and 23looked upon the shaft. Secured to the wheel 20 in any suitable manner isa clutch member 24 having teeth 25 .projectin toward the oke 15 andoverlapping the a jacent end 0 the sleeve 16 which projects into the pit21 of the hub 21.

At 26 I show a clutch dog of peculiar nature and construction, the samehaving a I tooth 27 adapted to engage any one of the teeth 25. Saiddogalso includes a lip 28 fitted loosely within a groove 16 of the sleeve16and projecting within the clutch element 24. The lip portion of thedog, as shown in Figsi-5' and 6," constitutes ation of a hollow cylinderand being fitted against the bottom of the groove 16' is adapted torotate independently of the sleeve and shaft 10. The dog, however, isprevented from longitudinal or radialdisplacement with respect to thesleeve 16.

A flexible member of any suitable character shown as a coil spring 29,is interposed between the sleeve 16 and the dog 26. This spring29"i's'"shown anchored atone end upon a stud 30, and after being coiledloosely around the main-portion of =the sleeve has its 0 posite endrejected through the body 0 the dog 26 w ere it is ad'ustably secured bya set screw 31.

'pon manipulation of the yoke lever 15 the sleeve 16 will be forcedtoward the wheel- 20, bringing the do 26 into engagement with one oranother 0 the teeth 25 but without se arating the clutch element 17 fromthe co ar 18. It being understood that the shaft 10 is in constantrotation .at high speed, the engagement of the clutch dog 26 with theclutch 24 will havev a tendency to start the rotation of the wheel 20and the machine 12 associated therewith through the transmission devices13 and 14. The shaft 10 being heavy and driven at a continuous speed, adirect positive connection between the same and the wheel 20 would tendto be disastrous to the stationary mechanism because of the inertia ofrest of the same but for the resiliency of the connection 29. Since theteeth 25 and 27 come into engagement, the rotation of the main shaftwinds up or puts under tension the spring 29, such tension becominggradually more tense until the stren th of the spring is sufiicient tostart the iniividual machine 12 and continue such operation so longasthe clutch elements remain in contact. Obviously, also, a secondaryfunction of the spring 29 is to provide a steady and easy operation ofthe machine; that is to say, any obstacle or unusual demands made uponthe individual machine may be overcome gradually by the automatictightening up upon the spring. When the yoke 15 is thrown in theopposite direction to stop the machine 12, the sliding of the sleeve 16will carry with it positively the clutch dog 26 by reason of theengagement between the end of the lip 26 and the right hand wheel bounding, the groove 16'.

conditions is generated and kept in circulation by the idle runningtransmissions.

Patent:-

1. In a device of the character set forth,

the use of this invention the sanita tion of a factory or shop ismaterially im-.' proved, since much of the dust under prior].

from said wheel, said dog having a tooth adapted to engage 'a tooth ofthe wheel, and

a flexible member interposed between the sleeve and the dog to controlthe rotation of the dog and sleeve independently of each other withincertainxlimits.

2. The combination with a constantly rlmning power shaft and a clutchsleeve slidable longitudinally thereon but held from independentrotation on the shaft, of a wheel having clutch teeth projecting towardthe sleeve, a clutch dog mounted upon the sleeve and slidable therewithpositively in either direction but free for certain rotationindependently thereof, and a coil 7 spring secured at one end to thesleeve and set forth.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with aconstantly running shaft and a. clutch sleeve 'slida'ble thereon, butheld from rotation independently of the shaft, of a Wheel having ahollow hub journaled loosely upon the shaft but held from longitudinalmovement thereon, the end of the sleeve projecting within the hollowhub, a clutch element projecting laterally from the wheel over thesleeve and having a series of teeth, said sleeve having acircumferentialgroove, a clutch dog fitted loosely in said groove and including a lipprojecting withinthe clutch element and also having at its other end tothe dog, substantially a tooth adapted to engage one of the clutchelement teeth, and a resilient member interposed between the sleeve andsaid dog, sub

stantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' MAXIMILIAN BRETH.

Witnesses:

Gm. L. Bnnnnn, Pmn'rr D. ROLLHIAUS.

